The decision, announced Wednesday, comes after a panel of government MLAs began looking into the possibility of expanding alcohol sales beyond Alberta's 1,600 private liquor stores earlier this year.

Albertans won’t be able to buy alcohol from grocery and convenience stores after all. It’s something the provincial government has been exploring since late last year, and the province says it has decided not to move forward in order to protect private retailers.

Albertans will not be able to buy liquor in grocery and convenience stores anytime soon. An MLA advisory committee tasked with evaluating Alberta's liquor retail model has recommended that the province maintain its current liquor retail model.